Bicycle handlebar bags and packs have long been used by touring and other long distance cyclists to carry various items. These bags are typically used on road bikes with dropped handlebars. They generally have a box-like shape and are relatively large, occupying most of the space in front of the handlebar and between the brake levers. The bags or their support frames are often stabilized to prevent the bag from swaying or bouncing.
Prior art reveals a number of systems for attaching and stabilizing traditional handlebar bags. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,728 to Jackson, et al. (1976) shows a bag that is attached to the brake levers by means of hook and loop fastener straps and stabilized by means of elastic cords that attach to the lower ends of the front fork. U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,196 to Jackson, et al. (1978) shows a support frame with a center section that passes under the handlebar stem and over the handlebar and which then forms a U-shape. The sides of the frame are parallel and extend forwardly from the handlebar. The bag has pockets on each side that slide over the forward sections of the frame and can be stabilized by tension members that extend from the bottom sides of the bag and attach to the ends of the front fork.
Similarly to Jackson, et al. '196, U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,219 to Hine (1977) shows a frame that cantilevers over the handlebar with two prongs that project forward parallel to each other and engage sleeves in the sides of the bag. The Hine '219 support also includes at least one additional frame member that extends downward and engages the back of the handlebar pack. In the preferred embodiment, two downwardly-extending frame members are used that attach to an elastic shock cord that loops through the bicycle frame to stabilize the pack. U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,086 to Hine (1981) shows an improved method of securing the bag to the wire frame, which involves spring clips at the rear of the bag that snap onto the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,548 to Edelson (1981) shows a wire frame that attaches to the handlebar in a manner similar to Hine '219 and '086 and Jackson, et al. '196, but that has prongs that curve upward to engage a cleat at the rear of the bag. The bag is stabilized by a resilient material that engages the bicycle frame. U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,839 to Levine, et al. (1985) discloses a support bracket that attaches to the handlebar similarly to Edelson '548, but that terminates in a "V" shape, where it engages a compatibly shaped mounting fixture on the back of the bag, as opposed to the cleat system of Edelson '548. The support bracket is secured by means of an elastic rope that loops through the bicycle frame and attaches to a tubular member that engages two U-shaped prongs at the lower end of the support bracket.
Another means of stabilizing the mounting bracket is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,583 to Hine (1982). This patent discloses a second wire bracket that attaches to the handlebar and handlebar stem opposite the bag support frame. The second bracket and the support frame are then clamped together at a point just forward of the handlebar.
Still other handlebar bag mounting systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,846 to Schroeder (1986), U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,318 to Irwin (1989) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,748 to Katz (1994).
Traditional handlebar bags, including those disclosed by the above-referenced patents, suffer from a number of disadvantages. Because of their size and shape, they are not well suited for road bicycles with derailleur shifter cables that extend directly from the brake levers into the area in front of the handlebar. Many road bikes are equipped with this type of derailleur shifting system. Moreover, traditional handlebar bags and their attachment hardware tend to be quite heavy and cumbersome, which compromises the bicycle's handling characteristics and renders such bags unsuitable for cyclists who place a premium on light weight and aerodynamics. In addition, the large capacity of such bags is useless for riders who desire to use a handlebar bag only for carrying food and other small items that are often carried in the back pockets of a cycling jersey.
Furthermore, modern handlebar stems vary considerably in their shape and the angle at which the stem projects forward from the bicycle frame. Consequently, when mounted on many modern handlebar stems, traditional cantilevered wire support frames often will not extend horizontally from the handlebar without bending the frame. However, the heavy wire gauge required to support the loaded weight of these traditional bags makes it difficult and impractical to bend the support frame to accommodate the differences in handlebar stem shape.
The methods disclosed in previous patents for stabilizing the bag and support frame also have a number of disadvantages. The use of elastic shock cords that attach at the ends of the front fork preferably require fender eyelets on the fork ends, which are missing on many road bikes. Furthermore, these cords, and the large packs they help to stabilize, appear ungainly on lightweight road racing bicycles. The support bracket disclosed by Hine '219 cannot be economically manufactured by a conventional wire-bending process alone, because it requires an additional support member that is perpendicular to the plane of the forwardly-extending prongs. The cleat and bracket systems disclosed by Edelson "548 and Levine, et al. '839 require special attachment hardware to be mounted to the back of the bag, as does the spring clip system disclosed by Hine '086. The use of a second wire bracket and clamping hardware to stabilize the support frame, as disclosed by Hine '583, adds weight and makes the installation and removal of the support frame a more time-consuming process.
The need for a small, lightweight handlebar bag for carrying food and other small items has not been adequately addressed by prior art. The prior art discloses several handlebar-mounted beverage container holders, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,835 to Criqui, et al. (1986), U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,902 to Opfergelt (1988) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,687 to Lynch (1998), but these are not suitable for carrying loose articles. For road bicycles with aerobars mounted to the handlebar, U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,328 to Nakahara (1998) shows a water bottle carrier and small food bag that is suspended by straps that attach to the aerobar extensions. However, such an aerobar-mounted carrier has the significant limitation of not working with the great majority of bicycles, including mountain bikes.